How to Choose a Business Coach that’s Right For You

So you’ve decided that you’re ready to hire a coach for your business. Excellent! The benefits of mentorship are well-researched and you are on the right track.

I can just imagine the scene now. You start googling for “business coaches” and — woah! A hundred and seventeen million results?!?

How are you going to pick the one that’s right for you?

In this post I’ll be sharing how to choose a coach who’ll be perfect for you.

There are three things your potential coach should be

First, she should have the kind of business you want to have. There are coaches out there specific to almost any industry — coaches for health and wellness professionals, for artists, for speakers, for designers…

The point is that you want to find someone who has experience in and understands your field.

Second, she should be someone you LIKE and feel a connection with. You can start to get a feel for people from their websites and blogs. Does she feel too pushy and salesy to you? Too woo-woo? Too crass? Those are all red flags that she may not be the coach for you.

Third, she should be someone who is ahead of you with her business.

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I see people all the time in the marketplace who are essentially very new pitching themselves as coaches. Everyone has to start somewhere, but you need to evaluate if you will be helped by someone who has no more experience than you do.

These three criteria should help you narrow down the field a bit so that you can create a short list of candidates. But that doesn’t mean you should just pick one and hit the BUY button right away!

My advise is SPEAK with the coach first

Often you’ll have to book a consultation call with them anyway for their one-on-one services. During the call, ask yourself these questions:

Are they actually listening to you?

Do you think they are on board with what you are trying to do?

Can you hear their expertise in what they say to you?

Does their way of working fit your style of learning?

What exactly do you get in their program?

Is the result they are offering in line with your needs?

Finally, forget their marketing and ask yourself: do you think they actually care about what you are trying to do and are committed to helping you do it?

I see a lot of peopled wowed by the promises made in good marketing materials who are then disappointed because they didn’t bother to research if there is any substance to what they were actually getting. And I’ll admit this has happened to me personally as well.

Hiring a business coach can be a big investment, so you want to be absolutely certain that you’re making the right choice. But don’t let yourself get stuck in analysis paralysis; get all the information you can and then go with your gut.

To me, having someone who understands and is invested in your success is important. I also think it’s worth paying more for someone who is specialised and experienced because they’ll get you the results that will earn back their fee many times over.

Now I’d love to hear from you

What questions do you have about how to hire a coach?

Leave me a comment below and let me know your questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them!